94

LAWS OF MARYLAND.

drawal paper, knowing the same, or any part thereof to be

falsely made, or suppress any certificate of nomination,

nomination or withdrawal paper, or any part thereof, which

has been duly filed, or forge or falsely make the official

endorsement on any ballot, or wilfully destroy or deface any

ballot, or shall take or remove any ballot outside of the

enclosure provided for voting, before the close of the polls,

or wilfully delay the delivery of any ballots shall be pun-

ished by fine not exceeding one thousand dollars, or by

Penalty

imprison ment in the jail, penitentiary or house of correc

tion, not more than two years, or by both such fine and

imprisonment in the discretion of the the court.

161 ZZ. Any public officer upon whom duty is imposed

Neglect to

by this act who shall wilfully neglect to perform such duty,

perform
duty.

or who shall wilfully perform it in such way as to hinder the

objects of this act, shall be punished by a fine of not less

than five nor more than one thousand dollars, or by impris-

onment in jail, penitentiary or house of correction for not

more than two years, or by both such fine and imprisonment

in the discretion of the court.

161 AAA. Any ballot clerk who shall place his initials

upon any ballot, save when about to deliver it to a voter in

the polling room, and any person whatsoever, who shall

Penalies

on ballot

wilfully destroy, conceal or retain any ballots duly prepared

Clerk.

for voting, or wilfully break the seals of any package, book

or block of ballots, or abstract any ballots therefrom, or

have any such ballots, except for the lawful purposes in this

article provided, iu his possession, or any paper purporting
to be an official ballot, before or during an election, shall be

punished by a fine of not less than five nor more than one

thousand dollars, or shall be imprisoned in jail, penitentiary

or house of correction for not less than thirty days nor more

than two years, or both such fine and imprisonment in the

discretion of the court.

SEC. 2. And be it enacted, That section one hundred aud

sixty-two of article twenty-two of the Code of Public General

Repeal

Laws, entitled "Washington County," sub-title "Hagers-

town," be and the same is hereby repealed and re-enacted so

as to read as follows :

162. When the poll shall be closed the box wherein the

Counting
ballots

ballots are deposited, shall immediately thereafter be opened

by the judges of election and the said judges in the presence

of one selected representative of each and every political

party, whose candidates are voted for at such election to be

designated in writing by said candidates, shall publicly take

out the said ballots and read distinctly aud aloud the name